none of us knew how sick. robert bazell has more on the fight ahead of him. >> ladies and gentlemen, please say hello to michael douglas. >> reporter: michael douglas strode onto letterman stage to promote his new film but instead made a shocking announcement. >> i've got cancer. found out about it three weeks ago. i've got a biopsy and they analyzed it. it's a stage four which is intense. >> reporter: douglas, who is 65, has had a stellar career on television and in the movies. >> you're going to have to kill me. >> reporter: winning an oscar for his portrayal of gordon gecco in "wall street." >> greed, for lack of a better word, is good. >> i'm sorry to be dumb about this, but you look great and you don't sound like you have throat cancer. now, why is that? >> because i'm on stage. [ laughter ] >> because, kirk, he says, son, you have to look good. you never know when you might have cancer. >> reporter: douglas was clear about the likely cause of the tumor. a combination that's responsible for a large portio